108 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



one in particular, of a spongy nature, the stem 

 about two feet six inches in diameter, and the 

 leaves very large and of a leathery texture. It is 

 called by the natives the 'tolak tree/ and is 

 generally covered with the nests of the ' baia, ? a 

 small kind of sparrow. I have seen upwards of 

 300 nests upon one tree. They are of a pear-shape, 

 having a long funnel-like aperture at the base, and 

 the interior divided into two compartments, one 

 for the male, and the other for the female and her 

 progeny."* Other authors mention the division of 

 some of these nests into compartments, in one 

 of which the female sits and performs the task of 

 incubation, and in the other the male, who cheers 

 her by an occasional chirp while occupied with 

 her maternal duties. It would appear that the 

 intention of these singularly formed nests is to 

 exclude enemies; and, certainly, the snake, or 

 squirrel, which would attempt the hazardous task of 

 making an entrance into the retort-shaped nest 

 figured on a former page, would run a considerable 

 risk of dropping to the ground and being destroyed 

 by the fall. 



In his researches into the ornithology of Austra- 

 * Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. 



